Timeline

Inclusion of Local Perspectives

QUNO helps to bridge the gap between civil society actors in the field and the UN in New York.
February 2024

Building Partnerships to help us Learn From Each Other

On February 10th, QUNO New York hosted a group of Young Adult Friends (YAF) at Quaker House. The session was titled “Learning from Each Other: Young Adult Friends and the Quaker United Nations Office” and was organized in partnership with the New York Yearly Meeting. Over a day-long session, the group came together to exchange views on where young Friends hope for more engagement from Quaker peace practitioners, and how QUNO’s role at the UN intersects with these perspectives.  

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February 2024

Marking Three Years of Military Rule in Myanmar

February 2024 marked three years since the Myanmar (Burma) military took power in a violent coup following democratic elections. To commemorate this sombre anniversary, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in New York, working in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), hosted a visit by two Myanmar experts. Z Nang Raw and Billy Ford spent two days at Quaker House providing private briefings to members of the UN community in New York.

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January 2024

Advancing the UN’s 2030 Agenda through Partnerships

On January 30th, Quaker UN Representative Kavita Desai delivered a statement at the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Partnership Forum. In her remarks, Kavita highlighted the essential role of civil society organisations as partners in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those that work on the frontlines of SDG implementation.

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December 2023

QUNO NY joins first ever CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding

QUNO NY joined a “CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding” from November 30th to December 1st. The Dialogue recognised the important role civil society organisations (CSOs) play in advancing local, national, regional and international solutions to build and sustain peace.

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December 2023

Diplomats Join Breakfast Briefing on Myanmar

On December 1, QUNO staff in New York kicked off the new month by hosting a breakfast meeting at Quaker House on the situation in Myanmar. The meeting brought diplomats together to hear a briefing by Min Zin, Executive Director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy, regarding the complex and rapidly evolving situation in Myanmar.

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September 2023

UN Peacebuilding Commission gathers on peacebuilding and sustaining peace in an era of geopolitical transition

The Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform, which is co-facilitated by the Quaker UN Office in New York and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, submitted a written statement to the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s (PBC) meeting of Ministers held on September 22, 2023. The PBC gathering was focused on the challenging topic of ‘peacebuilding and sustaining peace in an era of geopolitical transition’.

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September 2023

QUNO Representative joins Peace and Conflicts panel during the Global People’s Assembly

During September, hundreds of participants from civil society, marginalized communities, excluded groups, and local actors came together to hold governments accountable  to their global commitments at the United Nations. The Global People’s Assembly provides an opportunity for participants to share their experience of social, environmental and economic injustice, and to strategize around ending inequalities.  

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September 2023

QUNO NY Speaks about youth, peace and inclusion at the local level

On September 16th, QUNO New York Representative, Kavita Desai, spoke at a side event in connection to the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. In her presentation, she stressed that, “for the United Nations engagement with young people on peace and security to be sustainable, there must be an investment in young people and in prevention.”   

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August 2023

Torchbearers for the SDGs: Empowering Youth for Meaningful Progress

QUNO NY Programme Assistant, Sadhbh O’Driscoll, delivered a statement on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation during the ‘Torchbearers for the SDGs’ youth consultation on August 11, International Youth Day. The consultation was hosted by the United Nations Envoy on Youth and the Major Group for Children and Youth. The theme of the consultation was Meaningful Youth Engagement and the 2030 Agenda.

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August 2023

QUNO NY hosts Knowledge Cafe creating connections among youth movements

On August 9, QUNO New York Programme Assistant, Sadhbh O’Driscoll, moderated a virtual discussion with youth activists from all around the world. QUNO is a member of The Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security where the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has a ‘Knowledge Café' initiative to create spaces for young people to come together.

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July 2023

QUNO NY Representative speaks at High Level Political Forum side event

The annual High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development began at the UN headquarters on the 10th of July. Each year, government and UN officials gather alongside civil society to discuss progress made towards sustainable development; the theme of this year's forum was “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.

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July 2023

UN launches New Agenda for Peace: QUNO hosts briefing

On the morning of July 27, the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform, co-hosted by QUNO and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), convened civil society representatives to meet with UN officials at Quaker House in New York.  During the lively discussion, guests exchanged reactions and feedback following the publication of the Secretary General’s New Agenda for Peace.

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June 2023

QUNO NY hosts discussion on equal access to justice for all

On June 7, QUNO NY held a discussion on Sustainable Development Goal 16 titled “Spotlight on SDG 16: Providing Access to Justice for All’. The event brought together UN diplomats, colleagues from the UN system and civil society to unpack the ‘justice’ element of SDG 16, delving further into both reproductive and environmental justice.

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June 2023

SDG 16 Conference 2023: SDG 16 as a compass for navigating intersecting crises

From 30 May to 1 June, Kavita Desai, QUNO NY Representative, actively participated in the  fourth annual Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) Conference. The conference was organized by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. In addition to the conference, a civil society day was observed on 29 May. 

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June 2023

The Second Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

QUNO NY recently attended the second session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent which took place at UN headquarters from May 30 to June 2. This newly established forum, which alternates annually between the UN in New York and Geneva, serves as a crucial platform for people of African Descent from across the globe to gather to voice their concerns regarding the persisting violence and discrimination faced by Africans and people of African Descent.

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April 2023

QUNO NY hosts ‘Youth Impact’ discussion on sidelines of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Youth Forum

On April 26, QUNO NY hosted a hybrid side event for the ECOSOC Youth Forum and Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The event titled, ‘Youth Impact: Building Connections to Elevate Action,’ provided a space for youth to come together at Quaker House to share experiences from within their communities as well as challenges they face when engaging with the UN during these forums.

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April 2023

Quaker work at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Away from the buzz of the UN, young Indigenous people gathered at Quaker House under the shade of the gingko tree, finding respite through casual conversation, ceremony, and friendship after two weeks of political dialogues at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), held in New York in April 2023.

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March 2023

Small Island Developing States champion initiative to seek World Court Advisory Opinion

The Quaker United Nations Office welcomes the landmark decision by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion on “the obligations of States in respect of climate change.” The UNGA decision came after Vanuatu led a core group of nations, made up mostly of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and others, including New Zealand, to bring forward the resolution to the General Assembly.

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January 2023

Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform submission for UN’s New Agenda for Peace

On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, Member States pledged to strengthen global governance for the sake of present and future generations. At the request of Member States, the Secretary-General released the much-anticipated report, ‘Our Common Agenda,’ that provided several recommendations, including the need for a New Agenda for Peace (NA4P), to address the multitude of challenges faced by the international community.

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